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The Universal Church of the Celestial Sun
The Universal Church of the Celestial Sun is a massive organization that dominates the Known Worlds. The Church touches the lives of each and every sentient. Even pagans and apostates define themselves in terms of their opposition or difference from the Church. Perceptions of the Church obviously vary, but the majority of people in the Known Worlds look to the Church for guidance and attend services at least once a week. They are devout, and are much more likely to follow the direction of a priest than their own Noble masters. This then is the source of the Church's enduring power: Nobles who fall afoul of the Church often find their serfs running away and freemen refusing to work for them. Because of this, almost all Nobles appear to be devout supporters of the Church. Many really are devout believers. The Church is full of the sons and daughters of Noble families. Others Nobles are less than devout, but they understand that without the Church's blessing, they could and probably would lose all they have. The Noble families and the Church have an implicit understanding: The Nobles support the Church through their tithes and the Church support the Noble's position to rule, which carries immense weight with the serfs. The League of Merchants also has a contradictory relationship with the Church. The League is a much younger institution than the Church and the relationship is often rocky. Yet many lower level guild members come from or are themselves believers. And the League could not withstand a crusade against it by the Church and allied Noble families. Of course, there is balance, and the Church itself relies on Guild technology, often technology it bans for the rest of the Known Worlds. The Universal Church, is ironically, not quite Universal. There are other religions, although they are practiced in secret for the Church will stop at nothing to exterminate them. Even within the Church, there are distinct divisions. 'Church Sects' Church is shared into several smaller movements: Orthodox Power in numbers The largest sect, it is the Orthodoxy that most people associate with the Church. Its priests can be found on all worlds, from the ostentatious bishops of the capital cities to the more humble parish priests in the most poverty-stricken fiefs. While the Orthodoxy has gained a reputation for their cunning political manoeuvres, most priests know little of such things, being entirely too busy protecting the souls of the simple faithful in their parishes. When tragedy strikes, it is still to the Orthodoxy that most of the faithful turn for consolation. When people refer to ‘the church’, they are referring to the Orthodoxy. Favoured saints of the Orthodoxy include “St. Lugus”, “St. Junil”, “St. Sabel” and the living patriarch, “St. Barbatos”. Orthodoxy ACCs: St. Barbatos the Undying: Patriarch of the Orthodox church and official head of the entire Church of Celestial Light. St. Barbatos wields a scepter. Cardinal Claude Remillard: Very conservative clergymen with strong ties to the avestites. Does not get along with the Remillard noble house. Cardinal Claude Remillard holds a scepter. Cardinal Leonid Mirmah: Once arch-bishop of Clarke, he has moved on to accept a cardinalship but maintains contacts throughout Clarke and with the Tsedeq family in particular. Leonid is known to hold more liberal views towards technology and tradition but knows his position is dependent upon the church and will never stray too far. Cardinal Leonid Mirmahholds a scepter. Cardinal Quelus Heventi: Born a serf of the Universal Light, this man made his mark in local politics before adopting the clerical robes and continuing his political career amongst the monks and clerics of the church. Cardinal Quelus. in addition to his Cardinalship also holds the archbishopric of Errovus Secondus and is perhaps the most ambitious of the current sceptreholders. His vote usually goes to whoever can provide the greatest personal gain. Some say that Cardinal Quelus is the least religious cardinal. Cardinal Quelus Heventi holds a scepter. 'Eskatonic Order' Power of Magic These hermetic sages are often thought of as wizards by the common folk, but the nobles and guildsmen know them for the kooks they often are. While there are many within the order who possess profound wisdom and learning, there are just as many who are obsessed with the end of the universe and who stand on street corners telling everyone about it. Eskatonic history begins in ancient times, during the great ‘soul wars’. They were derived from Amur wizards and hermetics who fought alongside the church to end the spread of the demon-servants and their tyranny and yet they used the heretic magiks often associated with the enemy. And thus there was much struggle and agonizing debate over the fate of the Amur mages and sages. Their continued devotion to the church and their willingness to share their secrets with the orthodox and other sects eventually won the day and they were accepted, at least for awhile. As the years turned into centuries the church led many inquisitions against the ‘Order of St. Oghma’ (as they were known at the time) and purged their numbers of heresy and witchcraft and eventually drove them from the fold. During the ‘Grand Republic’ the ‘Order of St. Oghma’ was confined to a few minor cities on Errovus, their rites and secrets scrutinized by the church at any moment. That all changed when the Symbiots struck. Suddenly the weapons of the ‘Grand Republic’ were no longer sufficient and it was left to the church to battle for the souls of man in the face of overwealming odds. Knowing that flame-guns and missiles alone would not win the day, the Church called upon the ‘Eskatonics’ (as they had become known in an effort to distance themselves from the heretic ‘old gods’). The Eskatonics were admitted into the fold when their theurgical rites proved effective against the Symbiots. Some see this concession as a sign of weakness as the Orthodoxy struggles to regain ground lost during the Wars, but others quote the old saying: "Keep your friends close, and your enemies closer." Though publicly the Eskatonics share many of the same saints as the Orthodoxy, in private many also venerate “St. Caswel” and “St. Oghma”. Eskatonic Order ACCs Archbishop Horles Keter: A thoroughly mystic man, Horles Keter is known to arrive weeks late to important meetings, forget his childrens name and skip week’s worth of sleep and food in the pursuit of theurgical rites. Though the head of the Order of St. Caswel, he does a poor job of maintaining the political front. 'Brother Battle' The Power of Warriors This order of warrior monks is the most elite fighting forces in the Known Worlds, surpassing even the Emperor's Phoenix Guard in martial prowess. Originally chartered to protect pilgrims and pursue heretics, the order is now petitioned by noble houses, other Church sects, and even guilds to perform military operations on many worlds, including the infamous Stigmata Front against the dreaded Symbiot invaders. Despite rumors of heresy and usury within their ranks, everyone wants a Brother Battle monk by their side in times of trouble. Though technically bound to obey the directives of the Patriarch Barbatos, some worry that the Brother Battle are gaining too much power as they accumulate lands on frontier worlds where barbarians and heretics remain a threat. The Brothers Battle are the most recently formed sect, having arisen only at the end of the Grand Republic as the church became more and more involved, once-again, the military affairs of man, although many of their scriptures and popular liturgy can be directly traced to the ‘Cult of Fortune’ of old and their patron saint, Baelious, is thought to have been worshiped as a god in the ancient times. The Brothers battle are often recruited from the population of ‘House Eekin’s’ serfs and freemen and many are toweringly large blond-haired and blond-bearded men of cunning martial prowess. Their favoured saint is “St. Baleious”. Brothers Battle ACCs Archbishop General (3 star) Judy Sleeping: Born into soldiering, Judy’s father and all her brothers were killed figting the symbiot. Judy Sleeping is a uniquely uncomplicated person and wields her political power with the sole goal of defeating the symbiots and ridding their curse from the known worlds. Archbishop General (3 star) Judy Sleeping is a scepter holder and has in the past commanded the imperial garrison. 'Temple Avesti (Avestites)' The power of Inqusition The Avestites were formed under the personal direction of Patriarch Barbatos during the ‘Soul Wars’ so as to find and root out demonic worship and heretic followers of the ‘pretender gods’. Some whisper that the Avestites were originally formed as a means of blinding the most zealous followers of the ‘Church of Celestial Light’ to its leaders own hypocrisy and secrecy by turning their attention to targets of their choosing. Those that whisper this too openly may soon find themselves stretched over the ‘electro-racks’ and targets of inquisition themselves however. The Avestites long ago seized most of the seats on the Inquisitorial Synod, but even pilgrims who hold no Inquisition seal have a habit of sticking their noses in other people's business. Avestites consider it their duty to search the Known Worlds for signs of heresy, demonism and any other threats to the faithful, and are not about to let such technicalities as law or status get in the way. Their rejection of learning and dogmatic adherence to certain extreme scriptures makes them the object of fear and hatred for the enlightened, although the peasantry might cheer when one of their betters is the target of Avesti ire. Publicly, they are obeyed, but Avestites who wander alone into dark alleys are sometimes never seen again. Only the most fanatic and ascetic initiates are admitted to this sect. The Avestites almost universally favour the living patriarch as their saint of choice. Temple Avesti ACCs High Inquisitor David Ghul: 'A man known best for his fierce temper and ambition, David wishes nothing less then a return to some imaginary perfect time before sin had stained the hearts of man. He is constantly at the side of St. BArbatos who seems to find something admirable in his anger and single-minded intensity. Despite his faults, or perhaps because of them, David is a an excellent diplomat and administrator. Though Ghul uses the title of High Inquisitor, within the Universal Church he is recognized as an archbishop. 'Blossom of Mercy The power of kindness and healing This order of healers and compassionate mystics is as old as the Orthodoxy, although the Blossoms of Mercy conceded leadership of the Church long ago, preferring to dedicate themselves to the perfection of their salutory arts. Everybody loves the priests and priestesses of Blossom of Mercy, followers of Saint Sirona, for their very touch can effect miraculous cures of injuries and sickness -- at times even when artefact tech of the Grand Republic has failed. When a Blossom comes to town, there is always someone willing to provide hospitality for her. Many serfs and freemen will plant a plum tree in their yard in an effort to win the favour of this beloved sect by paying homage to their most well-known symbol, the plum blossom. Indeed, so beloved by the commoners are they that when one was once accused of witchcraft by an overzealous Avestite, the Avestite was seized by the populace and burned at the stake instead. In addition to “St. Sirona” many also pay homage to “St. Nantosuelta”. Blossom of Mercy ACCs Cardinal Glory Herinus: Quiet, very old and known for understand wisdom, Glory does little to live up to his name while quietly and without noise administers to thousands of hospitals and hospices worldswide. The Pagan Faiths There a number of smaller and obviously pagan faiths throughout the worlds as well but these are considered heretical and that just won't do! History The Faith in the Celestial Sun (aka the Pancreator) was born not in ancient times as many suspect, but only after humanity (re?)-discovered the jumpgates. It was propagated by the prophet Zebulon, one of the first colonists to jump to Errovus Secondus (then under the control of the Zaibatsu corporation). Like most early jumpers, Zebulon experienced a moment of pure euphoria and hallucinatory dissociation as he jumped (the <> effect) but he also claimed to have glimpsed the true creator of all things, the ‘Pancreator’ and that he appeared as a celestial fire brighter than any sun, the sum of all suns. He also witnessed the demons of hell, which sought to extinguish the celestial light. But unlike the preceding religions, he knew ‘hell’ to be the dark space between the stars. Upon arriving at Errovus Secondus, he founded the Church of the Universal Light. At the time the people of Errovus were polytheists, believing that many of what we now know to be servants of the Pancreator, were indeed gods onto themselves. Zebulon’s church, at first, was fairly minor. His teachings ran counter to most beliefs of the day. While the people were entranced by the mundane and faithless miracles of technology, beholden to the greed of coin and slaves of faceless guilds (called corporations then), the prophet Zebulon preached against them, criticizing the worship of technology and money and asserting the role of the Pancreator and his servants as it should be. He also spoke out against the growing cult of <>. After his death there was a schism between his disciples. One of his disciples was Amalthea, once a devoted <>pagan<>. She had been a hospital nurse and priestess but had heard Zebulon speak and realized the truth of his words, realizing that <> was a creation of the Pancreator. She argued with Palamedes Alecto who had been a soldier. He was well versed in temporal matters and after the prophet’s death won the political battle with Amalthea for control of the followers of Zeubulon and amongst many of his critics, in particular amongst the ‘Blossoms of Mercy’ who follow Amalthea, he is still considered a shrewd politician and manipulator. His church became what is now considered the ‘Orthodoxy’. It is Palamedes and his cohorts who collected the teachings of Zebulon and developed the ‘Omega Gospels’. <> (a note on the disciples. Zebulon is said to have had 7 disciples: o Lextius the Traveler o Palamedes the Knight o Amalthea the Healer o Mantius the Guilder o Maya the Scorned o Horace the Learned o Hombor the Beggar) (a note on the Omega Gospels. These are the collective teachings of Zebulon and contain gospels of: • Paulus • Lextius • Amalthea • Horace • Chroniculae III • Maya • Hombor • Mantius • Galaxia • Meditations • Lamentations • Delphians • Innominate • Pilgrims It is the accepted holy book of the great religious sects. This includes the ‘Holy Gate’ who consider the Omega Gospels and their own text of equal religious importance.) During the diaspora the Church of Universal Light’s influence spread far and wide, gaining recognition on many planets and amongst many people. There still existed many other faiths, many dedicated to a single or limited number of facets of traditional polytheism. Additionally there was the Blossoms of Mercy, led by Amalthea’s teachings, within but separate from orthodox Universal Light. <>a bunch of censored stuff on the birth of the avestites<> Late during the Diaspora, in the year of approximately 1100 (counting from the first jump as is standard for our calendar), (OOC: so approximately 1000 years after the founding of the Church of Universal Light), a great man, Barbatos, was acclaimed Patriarch of the church. He was a potent theurgist, charismatic speaker and man of unfathomable wisdom and purity. It is said that he was immortal, and had witnessed the dawn of time. Under the leadership of Patriarch Barbatos, the Church was able to spread the truth of the Celestial Light far and wide, quickly overcoming the pagan polytheistic faiths of lesser times. As the Grand Republic took form Barbatos began to proclaim several prophecies, explaining how man’s hubris in his great works, his spiritual poverty would be his own end, how Man themselves would bring unleash its own destruction through this hubris. He also correctly predicted the rise of the anarchists that disrupted the ‘Map’, the fall of the Republic, the rise of the nobles and even the fading of the suns. It is then that Barbatos was canonized, the living, undying saint and pancreator. With the divesture, the Church of Universal Light and the Orthodoxy in particular were greatly strengthened. The people of the worlds had grown suspicious of the intrigues of man and spiritually bankrupt faith in technology. It was quickly realized that the Church would require a military arm and it is at this point that that St. Barbatos founded the Brothers Battle. More and more dedicated themselves to the faith, though many also turned, alarmingly, to the <> and the <>. And then the greatest of demons stuck, as predicted by St. Barbatos, punishment unleashed by own hands as penitence for our crimes against the Pancreator. It is when the Symbiots struck that we realized the true greatness of the Pancreator for it was the theurgists trained by St. Barbatos that were most able to turn back the green tide. At the time there was a <> known as the <>. <>a bunch of censored stuff<> In the aftermath of the symbiot attacks and the visit of the heathen and demonic transcedentals, as the noble houses, guilds and even the orthodoxy scrambled to reclaim some vestige of our lost technology, the <> <>a bunch of censored stuff<> became the Temple Avesti and serve the Orthodoxy. To this day should any Avestite must obey an Orthodox cleric of equal or greater rank than the Avestite. <>a bunch of censored stuff<> they would be visited by the Pancreator’s Holy Flame.